News Articles: Youth Forum 2004 - Round 1
The Sustainability Vision
"…a future in which economic prosperity, social justice and protection of the natural environment are pursued simultaneously to secure good health and enhance well-being for all people, now and for generations to come."
A project of:
Goals
The aim of this Youth Forum is to bring high school students, teachers, researchers and local community experts together:
· to foster learning about local sustainability issues,
· to build partnerships between schools and community resources, and
· to help students become empowered through student-led Action Projects.
Through similar events in other provinces, students have undertaken projects ranging from waste audits to schoolyard naturalization. One team even managed to get part of their school off the power grid!
The Life Sciences Gallery at the RSM will be used to provide context and encourage reflection during the Regina Forum. Click here to learn more about the forum process.
Context
Sustainability calls for forms of development that "meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (Our Common Future, United Nations, 1987). While some believe that the development of new technologies will help us move toward sustainability, the central challenge is a cultural one, since "development divorced from its human or cultural context is growth without a soul" (Our Creative Diversity, UNESCO, 1995). Sustainable communities require knowledgeable citizens who are willing to acknowledge the significance and impacts of their choices and actions, critically examine the cultural values that support them, and commit to the development and implementation of appropriate policies, technologies and infrastructure. All of these steps are necessary to create a culture of sustainability.
The Regina Forum
Based on a model developed by Learning for a Sustainable Future, the Regina Forum will bring together teachers, students, business leaders, municipal politicians, bureaucrats, and community and environmental groups to explore local sustainability issues, and to develop and implement local action plans. Approximately 125 people are expected to participate, including 75 high school students from Regina and nearby communities.
During Days 1 and 2 of the Forum (February 25th and April 1st, 2004), students and teachers will work with local expertise to identify issues of concern and develop their action plans. On Day 3, (during the week of October 11, 2004), student action teams will reconvene to share the successes and challenges they encountered in implementing their projects. At this point, the students will become mentors for a new group of students, who will be encouraged to draw on the experiences of their peers to develop and implement another set of action plans.
Over 20 workshops will take place on Day 1 of the Forum. Click here to see the program for Day 1.
Research
Supported in part by the University of Regina Centre for Sustainable Communities, the research component of this project will help us understand ways the educational value of these events. The aim is to examine what happens for students, teachers, researchers and community partners who take part, and the ways in which that involvement may impact their disposition to engage in local sustainability issues.
Click here to learn more about the research component of the Forum.
With support from:
For further information contact the Dr. Glenn Sutter, Chair of the Youth Forum Steering Committee.
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